Wednesday, March 7, 2012

All signs point to the great Rivera retiring after the 2012 season. When he retires, in many ways, Rivera will be just beginning his life’s work and will do so through his church, the Refuge of Hope. There are much bigger games to save.

He revealed to The Post yesterday he will announce his decision before midseason.

“I have to fight for my salvation,’’ Rivera said. “I have to work for that. That is what makes a real closer. That is the game I would love to close. That is what drives me.

“These are only games, now we are talking about lives. There is nothing better than that. That’s closing the deal.

“There is definitely a higher calling. I’m not a man to talk about fame or what I have accomplished, none of that stuff. To me that is good, but it is not important.

“If I can get hold of a teenager and tell him, ‘You know what, Jesus loves you, He cares about you and your family,’ that is the message. That’s what I want to do.’’

Rivera, 42, appears to be preparing himself mentally to move on and is savoring each baseball day. He wants to make sure his final decision is the correct one, and that’s why he has yet to announce it.

“I think maybe it will be before the All-Star break,’’ Rivera said of when he will make that announcement.

...

“I just want to be sure,’’ he said. “I want to make sure whatever I decide, it will be the right decision.’’

...

“I don’t want to tell you, ‘OK, I’m going to retire,’ and then I don’t do it,’’ he said. “To me, that’s not right.’’

...

“Whatever decision I make, I continue or I don’t continue, that is a decision I want to stick with,’’ he said of his thought process. “As you get older, you have your priorities and you just go and do it.’’

...

“It would be nice that you tell the fans, so every stadium you go to, the fans will be there to show their appreciation and you appreciate the fans,’’ he said.

“I appreciate all the fans; I appreciate their support and what they mean to the game.

“That’s the way it should be done, with respect, to give them the opportunity to see you and say goodbye. I think that’s the way to do it.

“I don’t want to take for granted everything the fans have given me. I don’t want to take for granted what God has given me.’’

I hate so much that this is going to be his last year, and the more I hear from him the more that reality is sinking in. Anyway, for now I'd just like to look ahead at this year.

All signs point to the great Rivera retiring after the 2012 season. When he retires, in many ways, Rivera will be just beginning his life’s work and will do so through his church, the Refuge of Hope. There are much bigger games to save.

He revealed to The Post yesterday he will announce his decision before midseason.

“I have to fight for my salvation,’’ Rivera said. “I have to work for that. That is what makes a real closer. That is the game I would love to close. That is what drives me.

“These are only games, now we are talking about lives. There is nothing better than that. That’s closing the deal.

“There is definitely a higher calling. I’m not a man to talk about fame or what I have accomplished, none of that stuff. To me that is good, but it is not important.

“If I can get hold of a teenager and tell him, ‘You know what, Jesus loves you, He cares about you and your family,’ that is the message. That’s what I want to do.’’

Rivera, 42, appears to be preparing himself mentally to move on and is savoring each baseball day. He wants to make sure his final decision is the correct one, and that’s why he has yet to announce it.

“I think maybe it will be before the All-Star break,’’ Rivera said of when he will make that announcement.

...

“I just want to be sure,’’ he said. “I want to make sure whatever I decide, it will be the right decision.’’

...

“I don’t want to tell you, ‘OK, I’m going to retire,’ and then I don’t do it,’’ he said. “To me, that’s not right.’’

...

“Whatever decision I make, I continue or I don’t continue, that is a decision I want to stick with,’’ he said of his thought process. “As you get older, you have your priorities and you just go and do it.’’

...

“It would be nice that you tell the fans, so every stadium you go to, the fans will be there to show their appreciation and you appreciate the fans,’’ he said.

“I appreciate all the fans; I appreciate their support and what they mean to the game.

“That’s the way it should be done, with respect, to give them the opportunity to see you and say goodbye. I think that’s the way to do it.

“I don’t want to take for granted everything the fans have given me. I don’t want to take for granted what God has given me.’’

I hate so much that this is going to be his last year, and the more I hear from him the more that reality is sinking in. Anyway, for now I'd just like to look ahead at this year.